Public Perception of and Attitude to Driverless Train: A Case Study of Sydney, Australia

Abstract

There are 32 cities around the world with automated metro systems in operation. The majority of these are located in Europe (13) and Asia (14) but none so far in Australia. However, the picture is changing in 2019 when the first stage of the 'Sydney Metro' starts its operation on the North West link in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The automated train is planned to be used safely without human interaction, thus reducing significantly the labour input in the provision of service. Although the proposal for a fully automated system came late in the planning phase of the Sydney Metro project, it appears that, from a technical point of view, the project is clear and well planned. However, providing information to Sydneysiders and understanding their attitudes towards automation has received no consideration. Moreover, how the public perceive these changes and their attitudes to aspects of the new system, including driverless trains, may well be crucial in properly positioning and marketing the new services to ensure the expected patronage. This paper aims to fill this gap by investigating public opinion of the new Sydney Metro service by undertaking a research on people's perceptions of a driverless train as well as their attitudes to the new transport system and public transport more generally

What impressions do users have after a ride in an automated shuttle? An interview study

“…In this regard, research on automated vehicle acceptance would profit from drawing analogies to other domains, such as driverless trains and even pilotless aircraft. Fraszczyk and Mulley (2017) found that respondents rated having a driver on driverless trains as (very) important and preferred to include a driver cab on driverless trains. Rice et al (2014), who investigated opinions about autonomous auto-pilots for commercial flights, found that respondents were more comfortable/trusting/willing to use the aircraft with the human pilot in comparison to the auto-pilot (fully autonomous machines that operate without interference with human pilots), or a human pilot in a ground station remotely controlling the aircraft.…”

An Experimental Approach to Understanding the Impacts of Monitoring Methods on Use Intentions for Autonomous Vehicle Services: Survey Evidence from Japan

“…Second, another potential topic for future studies could be a comparative perspective on the acceptance of different automated passenger services. For example, Fraszczyk and Mulley [29] analyzed public perceptions of driverless train operations (with attendants) and unattended train operation. Third, testing critical AV issues in a choice setting might yield real-world results that could identify the contributions of specific factors relative to classic attributes, such as time and costs.…”

Public Perceptions of a New MRT Service: a Pre-launch Study in Jakarta

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